


Between a Rock...and a Hard Place

by c4louf0rnia



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, it's just cute okay, larry au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 18:13:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5675725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c4louf0rnia/pseuds/c4louf0rnia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Louis works at a rock climbing place and Harry gets stuck at the top so Louis has to get him down, the giant idiot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between a Rock...and a Hard Place

Louis groaned in agony at the ridiculously slow passing final two hours of his shift at the Recreation Center in Doncaster. He was in charge of running the rock climbing wall which included: helping people get their equipment on, and in some cases holding the rope to let them down in case they couldn’t climb back down themselves. It had been an extremely busy day; in the summer they were always packed full with kids’ camps, and family outings at the Rec Center, and of course the rock climbing wall was one of the most popular things to do.  


***

  
Harry clutched his steering wheel for support as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Today would be the day he would finally do it. Harry was deathly afraid of heights, and he absolutely despised himself for it. It had caused him to miss out on so many opportunities in his life, basically whenever he and his friends went to amusement parks he was the one stuck holding the bags while everyone else went on the high rollercoasters. He even missed out on going on an air balloon ride for his mother’s engagement because he was so nervous about being so high up. He refused to let this go on any longer. Today he was at the Rec Center, as he had been almost every day for the past month trying to make progress by himself. Today he was certain that he would successfully climb the rock wall without passing out or throwing up everywhere.  
“C’mon, Styles…” he looked at himself in his rearview mirror with the most intense I-can-do-it face he could muster. Harry got out of his car and locked it up, then set off for the front door of the Rec Center. 

***

  
Louis had just finished strapping the most irritating ten year old into a harness and sending him up the wall with a coworker holding the rope to keep him from falling when he was about to head for a bathroom break.

“Louis, could you take the next customer please?” Ariel, the head of the rock wall, asked him politely. He was close to protesting, but refrained assuming it wouldn’t take long. The boy at the counter looked old enough to handle himself pretty well…or so Louis thought.

“How can I help you, sir?” Louis asked trying not to sound completely dead on the last hour of his shift. He didn’t notice from afar but the boy at the counter was extremely handsome. Even in gym shorts and a Nike t-shirt and tennis shoes, he looked positively stunning. His hair was long and curled from the middle down, but it was pulled back into a bun. Louis had grown to have such a weakness against the manbun. He absolutely adored them when he saw guys wearing them.

“Yes, mister…” Harry leaned in to read Louis’ nametag, “Louis!” he seemed to exclaim. “Louis, I would like to climb this very high, very intimidating looking rock wall, please!” Harry’s mouth spread into an exceptionally nervous half-smile.

Oh no… Louis thought dreadfully. Here’s another numpty trying to cure their fear of heights...and on MY watch no less…I have to get out of this somehow…

“Right, of course you do. That’ll be $8 even, and then you can come around and we’ll get you into a harness and hooked up.” Harry presented a debit card which Louis swiped and then handed back, their fingers grazing ever so lightly, making Louis’ cheeks feel flushed.

Harry stepped around the counter and Louis handed him a harness to step into and then helped him buckle and tighten all the straps. Louis’ hand brushed passed Harry’s heart and he swore it could have been beating a hundred miles per hour. He gazed humorously up at Harry.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked, grinning. Harry swallowed the air in his mouth and nodded.

“Yup…never been more excited in my life…” He was a horrid liar. Of course Louis saw right passed it. But it was policy, he couldn’t force Harry not to do the wall. Fear of heights or not he paid so he can do what he wants. Harry’s cheeks reddened because he knew Louis saw through his lie, but for some reason he didn’t want to admit he was scared to Louis. He had to admit he was deeply attracted to him. His wispy hair and bright blue eyes made Harry want to melt.

“Right. So,” Louis began to explain the proper procedure for the rock wall and the best way to navigate himself up it without slipping and having to have his rope caught midair by a staff member. “…and if you get partway up and decide you want to stop you can just retrace your steps, or if you must, ask a staff member help you down. Now, you’re all hooked up so you can start whenever you like. I promise it’s not that bad. It’s all in your head, Harry.” Louis attempted to ease his nerves and Harry half-smiled before stepping up to the wall and placing his hands on the first grips his hands could reach that were level with his shoulders and pulled himself up to stand on two other ones near the floor.  
  


***

  
“Oh, lord…oh sweet Jesus what was I thinking…” Harry muttered to himself completely scared out of his wits. At this point he was so scared he was too caught up in his thoughts to control his hands and feet and stop climbing. He was about to make it to the top and he felt like he was sweating more profusely than he should be; damned nerves. As he reached the top, he looked back and down at the ground as much as he could while staying steady looking for Louis. He desperately needed help, but he didn’t want it from anyone else. 

***

  
Louis returned from his bathroom break that had turned into a 15 minute chat with another coworker expecting Harry to be gone.

“Hey, Ariel, is the curly kid gone yet?” He asked, slightly hoping he was still there. Ariel let out a breath of relief when she saw Louis and hustled over to him.

“No, and thank god you’re back. He’s stuck at the top and only wants your help. He refused it from anyone else…something about you knowing the problem? I don’t know…just help him it’s nearly closing time.” Ariel was completely frazzled. Louis headed over to the wall and sure enough, there was Harry having a near panic attack at the very tip top.

“Harry, what’s the problem, mate?” Louis tried his best to sound concerned, which he was, but he thought this was more funny than problematic. Harry’s head whipped around and his eyes found Louis.

“Louis?! Thank goodness you’re here! I’m a bit stuck…well uh, maybe a bit more than a bit…” Harry clutched the grips so tightly his knuckles were white.

“Okay, Harry, I’m going to grab this rope that you’re connected to and when I say go I want you to push off the wall and I’ll lower you down slowly.” Louis grabbed the rope and was about to say go when Harry started to protest profusely.

“No, no, no, no, Louis I can’t do that what if I fall?! No I can’t…” Louis glared up at Harry who was just causing all sorts of issues for him. It was now passed his time to get out of work and he would be stuck here until god knows when trying to get Harry down.

“C-can you come up here and g-get me down, Louis?” Harry stuttered.

“Harry I-“Louis was about to insist that he just push off as it would be much quicker, but he knew Harry wouldn’t do it. “Fine. I’m coming up just stay put.” Louis walked off to get his own harness and strapped himself in and started up the wall. He had climbed it so many times that he knew the best ways up and soon enough he was coming up on the right side of Harry.

“Louis! Thank goodness!” Harry exclaimed wanting so badly to reach out and hug Louis to him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can thank me for being your knight in a shining harness later. Right now let’s focus on getting you down, I’m ready for dinner and it’s already passed my shift.”

“I’m really sorry, Louis…I thought I could do it…” Harry frowned and grimaced focusing on his hand on the grip. Louis moved his hand over Harry’s and patted it to assure him it was okay.

“Alright. First thing I want you to do is move your hands down to new grips.” One by one Harry shakily shifted his hands like Louis had instructed and Louis followed suit.

“Okay, now move your feet down carefully. One at a time, lift it off the current grip and feel around for a comfortable position. Then do the same with the other foot.” Slowly but surely Louis and Harry made their way down the wall. Harry was much less nervous having Louis by his side coaching him down the wall. Finally, they made it. Harry felt the carpeted floor under his foot and was so grateful he could have kissed the floor (and maybe even Louis). By the time they reached the floor the rest of the staff had departed and Louis was left to lock up.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Louis!” Harry engulfed Louis into a massive embrace, which Louis returned with a laugh.

“You’re welcome, Harry. Just maybe next time tackle your fear on a bit of a smaller scale.” Harry laughed, turning crimson with embarrassment.

“Well, uh, since we’re talking about tackling fears…there’s one other fear I have that I would like to try to tackle right now…” Harry began, swallowing a ball of air as he had before he started climbing the wall earlier. Louis raised his eyebrows in wait for Harry’s confession. Harry’s eyes met his shuffling feet as he thought of how to begin.

“Louis I’m, uh, not very confident when it comes to asking people out but uh…well what I’m just trying to say or well ask is um-“ Harry groaned in frustration and his eyes rolled in annoyance at himself. Louis took a slight step closer to Harry, to which Harry took no notice.

“You were just trying to ask what, Harry?” Louis teased, moving one step closer, now Harry noticed.

“Well, Louis, now that you’ve invaded my space with your gorgeous presence and surprisingly intoxicating smell despite hours of slaving over this rock wall, I can’t seem to find my words.” Louis smirked knowing full well the effect he had on Harry.

“Could your words have been ‘Louis will you go out with me?’?” Louis taunted. “Because if they were, then yes I would love to…but if they weren’t…well this is embarrassing.” Louis actually found himself feel quite nervous; what if he had been wrong?

“You would be correct in those being my words. However, right this second, I don’t want to go out anywhere with you…” Harry’s eyes were fixed onto Louis’ mouth as he said this, and Louis felt strained in his lower region. The sultriness in Harry’s voice and the desperation in his eyes took Louis to a whole new level of desire.  
Louis pressed his hands against Harry’s chest and pushed him back against the wall. Grant it, he knew it probably wasn’t the most comfortable place to be shoved but clearly Harry didn’t mind. Harry pulled Louis tightly to him and met his mouth swiftly with his own. The heat from their kiss radiated through Louis’ body and he was sure it did the same to Harry. Harry parted from Louis momentarily, and Louis frowned. Harry pulled himself out from the wall and shoved Louis against it, this time attacking his neck instead of his mouth. Louis groaned in sweet agony as Harry found his sweet spot right under his ear.

“Well, Louis, it looks like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.” Harry whispered between nips against Louis’ neck. Louis could not help but let out a laugh between his moaning because he could not believe Harry actually just made that joke. Harry removed himself from Louis’ neck and chuckled proudly at himself for his cleverly inserted pun.

“I cannot believe you just actually said that.” Louis shook his head as he pulled Harry’s mouth back to his.


End file.
